When the 13th and most immediately controversial season of “Survivor” gets started tonight, Oak Harbor native Brad Virata will be center island.
It premieres at 8 tonight on KIRO-TV.
The new season, officially dubbed “Survivor: Cook Islands,” has been under fire in the weeks before it even airs for its eyebrow-raising, nose-wrinkling and other-facial-expression-inducing process of dividing the teams: this time along ethnic lines.
“Survivor” is going tribal in one of the truest senses, pitting whites against blacks against Asians against Hispanics, and it’s got some multi-cultural feathers ruffled.
“With most people … the first reaction is to flinch a little bit,” host Jeff Probst said in a conference call last week. “It’s a sensitive topic, and we understand that. But I think if people give this a chance, they’ll be happy with the results.”
The host also said reports of advertisers pulling out of the show because of the ethnically based tribes are incorrect. He said those advertisers decided to opt out of the new season months ago, before the concept was even developed.
Probst used words such as “inspiring” and “ethnic pride” while defending the approach, which he said was ultimately a response to criticism the show has received in the past for lacking diversity.
The idea from creator Mark Burnett was to turn that criticism on its head, Probst said. This time, it will start with 20 contestants, five from each group.
Virata, 29, is Asian, thus he’s part of the “Puka Puka” tribe to start the show.
Virata is part of a particularly fascinating moment in the first episode in which someone gets a headache and is cured by another team member who uses a mysterious remedy. It’s still unknown whether Virata is the healer, the healed or a curious bystander.
“Brad is … a part of something that I’ve never seen before,” Probst said. “It is a great example of why this kind of cultural diversity is the best thing to happen to ‘Survivor’ in a long time, because it exposes you to cultures, customs and points of view you wouldn’t normally see.”
Probst took a few moments this week to reveal what little he could about Virata, who is the second area native to appear on the show in its past three seasons. Brianna Varela of Edmonds was the third person voted off “Survivor: Guatemala” in the 11th season.
Virata has been athletic since his days back at Oak Harbor High School and continues to stay active with beach volleyball, running and weight training.
The physical attributes aren’t much of a concern for our local guy, Probst said.
“Brad was someone we liked instantly,” Probst said. “He is well spoken and has a strong point of view when it comes to ethics and he does not easily waver on his opinions. That makes him a great candidate for ‘Survivor.’”
Sounds like there’s a “but” coming.
“Brad’s Achilles heel is going to be his mouth,” Probst added. “He is not going to just sit back and agree with a decision if he doesn’t believe it to be the right choice.
“That can work to your advantage or it can mean a quick exit.”
Either way, we’ll be with him every step of the way.
Victor Balta’s column runs Mondays and Thursdays on the A&E page. Reach him at 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.
For more TV and pop culture scoop, check out Victor’s blog at heraldnet.com/blogpopculture.
On TV
“Survivor: Cook Islands,” 8 tonight, KIRO-TV.
Check here for updates on Oak Harbor native Brad Virata’s progress on the A&E page.
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